<img aria-describeby = "caption-attachment-21606" data-attachment-id = "21606" data-permalink = "https://ct.counseling.org/2019/07/from-the-president-what-is -Your mission / paul-sakuma-photographer-www-paulsakuma-com / "data-orig-file =" https://ct.counseling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/big-heathertrepal_headshot.jpg "data-orig-size =" 427,640 "data-comments-opens =" 1 "data-image-meta =" {"aperture": "0", "credit": "Paul Sakuma Photography", "camera" : "Canon EOS 7D", "Caption": "Paul Sakuma Photographer www.paulsakuma.com", "created_timestamp": "1553690719", "copyright": "", "focal_length": "110", "iso": " 400 "," shutter_speed ":" 0.005 "," title ":" Paul Sakuma Photographer www.paulsakuma.com "," guidance ":" 0 "}" data-image-title = "Trepal" data-image-description = "
Heather Trepal, the 68th President of the American Counseling Association
"data-medium-file =" https://ct.counseling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/big-heathertrepal_headshot-200×300.jpg "data-large-file =" https: //ct.counseling .org / wp-content / uploads / 2019/07 / big-heathertrepal_headshot.jpg "class =" wp-image-21606 "src =" https://ct.counseling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07 /big-heathertrepal_headshot-200×300.jpg "alt =" "width =" 150 "height =" 225 "/>
Heather Trepal, the 68th President of the American Counseling Association
T The cover story of his consulting month today is about obsessive-compulsive disorder and behavior. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, these behaviors occur in about 1 in 100 adults over the entire lifespan and can occur in children as often as in diabetes (see tinyurl.com/NIMHOCDInfo).
I have my son's permission to tell a little about his story here. When my son was about 8 years old, he started taking a lot of time to go to bed. He was slowly developing a complicated routine of tapping and jumping from the stairs to his bedroom, to the bathroom, and back. He also developed some other obsessive behaviors and repetitive movements. If there were any deviations from this routine, he had to start the whole process over again before he could finally settle in for the evening.
One night after going through a particularly difficult bedtime, my son came to my husband and me and said that he didn't want to live that way anymore. His need to perform these rituals affected his ability to function. We were looking for a counselor and luckily we found one who specialized in working with children with anxiety, attention deficit / hyperactivity disorders and obsessive behavior.
The counselor took the time to build a relationship with my son by getting to know him and asking about his favorite sport, friends, and favorite subject at school. The counselor also attempted to accurately and thoroughly evaluate the effects of my son's behavior on various areas of his life, including school, friends, health, and sports. The advisor let me know that he was a specialist in working with these behaviors and that his work with my son would be guided by research and evidence-based practice. My son has worked with his advisor for some time and has made significant progress.
Obsessive-compulsive disorders and obsessive-compulsive behavior are complex and can be extremely difficult to understand and treat. In addition, customers struggling with these behaviors may feel isolated. The International OCD Foundation (iocdf.org) is an organization that supports education, advocacy, access to effective treatment and a reduction in the stigma associated with these behaviors. This organization is not only a national non-profit organization, but also maintains many state affiliates. Such organizations create a sense of community and connectivity for those affected by those behaviors (and those who love them). In addition, the International OCD Foundation and its member organizations support researchers and psychiatrists on their way to better understanding and better treatment of OCD and OCD.
Just as my son's advisor assured me that his work is guided by research, it is important to understand the relationship between research and effective practice. This year we have an ACA Task Force chaired by Kelly Wester called State of Counseling Research: Its Impact on the Profession and the Public. Working with the ACA Research and Knowledge Committee, this task force will examine the current state of advisory research and focus on our strengths. The task force will recommend ways to improve counseling relationships and visibility throughout the profession and in public. We need to know more about the impact of our consulting research so that we can continue to provide the best possible service to our clients and communities.
****
Follow Heather on Twitter @HeatherTrepal
